Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Zanmumamia’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Zanmumamia’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly spherical plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit; dark green-colored leaves; uniform and freely flowering habit; long flowering period; decorative-type inflorescences with ray florets that are dark red in color; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum X morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ZANMUMAMIA’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum X morifolium, commercially referred to as a Garden Mum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Zanmumamia’.

The new Chrysanthemum plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new uniform spherically-shaped and freely flowering Chrysanthemum plants with unique and attractive ray floret coloration.

The new Chrysanthemum plant originated from a cross-pollination in November, 2011 of a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum x morifolium identified as code number 10-010457, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum x morifolium identified as code number 38.9526, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum plant was discovered and selected as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands in July, 2012.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum plant by vegetative terminal cuttings was first conducted in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands in September, 2012. Asexual reproduction by vegetative terminal cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Zanmumamia’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Zanmumamia’ as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly spherical plant         habit; vigorous growth habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit.     -   3. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   4. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Long flowering period.     -   6. Decorative-type inflorescences with ray florets that are dark         red in color.     -   7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the female selection parent. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in ray floret color as ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are brighter red than and not as dull red as ray florets of plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the male selection parent. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in plant form as plants of the new Chrysanthemum are spherical in form whereas plants of the male parent selection are upright in form. In addition, plants of the new Chrysanthemum have larger inflorescences than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of Chrysanthemum X morifolium ‘Zanmurover’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,016. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of ‘Zanmurover’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Under natural season conditions, plants of the new         Chrysanthemum flower about one to two weeks earlier than plants         of ‘Zanmurover’.     -   2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum have fewer         ray florets than inflorescences of plants of ‘Zanmurover’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. The photograph (FIG. 1) comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Zanmumamia’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in 17-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands under natural daylengths during the summer and autumn and under cultural practices generally used in commercial Chrysanthemum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 25° C. and night temperatures ranged from 8° C. to 15° C. Plants were 19 weeks from planting when the photograph was taken and the detailed description was taken on plants from 14 to 20 weeks after planting. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum X morifolium ‘Zanmumamia’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum X morifolium identified as code number             10-010457, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum X morifolium identified as code number             38.9526, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—By vegetative tip cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About six to eight days at             temperatures about 12° C. to 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 12 to 13             days at temperatures about 12° C. to 23° C.         -   Root description.—Thin, fibrous; typically close to 164D in             color, actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation,             substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Perennial decorative-type Chrysanthemum; stems             upright and outwardly spreading giving a uniformly rounded             appearance to the plant; plants roughly spherical; very             freely branching habit, about nine to ten primary lateral             branches develop, each primary lateral branch with about             nine to ten secondary branches; dense and full plant habit;             vigorous growth habit; rapid growth rate.         -   Plant height.—About 35 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 50 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 10 cm to 16 cm. Diameter:             About 2.5 mm. Internode length: About 4 mm to 25 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong, flexible. Aspect: About 30° to             45° from vertical. Texture and luster: Pubescent, fine;             longitudinally ridged; matte. Color: Close to 138B; with             development, becoming closer to 199B.         -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About 2 cm             to 4 cm. Width: About 1.2 cm to 2.4 cm. Shape: Elliptic.             Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed,             sinuses between lateral lobes divergent and medium in depth.             Texture and luster, upper surface: Pubescent; slightly             glossy. Texture and luster, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous;             matte. Venation: Pinnate. Color: Developing leaves, upper             surface: Close to 143B. Developing leaves, lower surface:             Close to 138A. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close             to NN137A; venation, close to 147D. Fully expanded leaves,             lower surface: Close to 138B; venation, close to 148D.             Petioles: Length: About 4 mm to 10 mm. Diameter: About 1.5             mm to 2 mm. Strength: Moderately strong, flexible. Texture             and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             semi-glossy. Color, upper surface: Close to 147D. Color,             lower surface: Close to 148D. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form;             inflorescences borne on terminals above foliar plane; ray             florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum; inflorescences             facing upright to outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—Slightly fragrant, pungent.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants             flower during October in The Netherlands.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about three weeks in an outdoor nursery;             inflorescences persistent.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—About 1,000 inflorescences             develop per plant.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 8 mm. Diameter: About             8 mm. Shape: Rounded. Texture and luster: Pubescent;             semi-glossy. Color: Close to N138B.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 5 cm to 5.5 cm.         -   Inflorescence depth (height).—About 1.8 cm.         -   Disc diameter.—To date disc floret development has not been             observed on plants of the new Chrysanthemum.         -   Receptacle diameter.—About 3 mm.         -   Receptacle height.—About 3 mm.         -   Receptacle shape.—Domed.         -   Receptacle color.—Close to 138C.         -   Ray florets.—Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About             120 to 130 arranged in about ten whorls. Length, developed:             About 2.5 cm to 2.8 cm. Width, developed: About 5 mm to             6 mm. Shape, developed: Elliptic. Apex, developed:             Emarginate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Aspect: Mostly             flat. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous; matte. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close             to 187B. When opening, lower surface: Close to 183A. Fully             opened, upper surface: Close to 183A; color becoming closer             to 178B development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to             185A; color becoming closer to 173A with development.         -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 21             to 24 arranged in about three whorls. Length: About 4 mm.             Width: About 1.5 mm. Shape: Narrowly elliptic. Apex: Acute.             Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper             and lower surfaces: Pubescent; semi-glossy. Color, upper             surface: Close to 138D. Color, lower surface: Close to 138A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 6 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Angle: About 45° from stem axis. Strength: Strong. Texture             and luster: Pubescent; matte. Color: Close to 138B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Not observed. Gynoecium:             Number of pistils per ray floret: One. Pistil length: About             4 mm. Style length: About 3.8 mm. Style color: Close to             151B. Stigma diameter: About 0.5 mm. Stigma shape: Forked.             Stigma color: Close to 151B.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date seed and fruit production have not             been observed on plants of the new Chrysanthemum. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have     demonstrated good garden performance and will tolerate temperatures     ranging from about 4° C. to about 30° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Zanmumamia’ as illustrated and described. 